Apparatus-fob the manufactuee of illuminating gas



A. W. HALL.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE or ILLUMINATING GAS. No; 109,510; PatentedNov, 22, 18704 f l j, 1. I

A 1, 1 i Emmi! Q l j E l I I y 1 i, Allah "A I are $5M that diiirrALEXANDER W1. H Lno-r NEW YORK, Y, AssreNoB' TO HIMSELF AND EDWINB.WARREN, or SAME PLACE.

Iiottors PatentNo. 109,510,- dated November 22,1870; antedated-Novtember11, i870.

'ni -seneaele 'xar a t m firebox-otters rammed snaking-part of en -r m.-

To, all whom; it may concern.-

lie it known that I, ALEX-moan W HALL, of'ihe city', county',.and Statevof ':N ew York, have invented anewan'd useful Improvement in Apparatusfor the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas, of which the follow ing is.a-full,cloak-,and-eiraet description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing forrning part of this specification, and whichrepresentsa sectional ,ele-- ration of my improved apparatus;

My invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture ofillumin'ating-gas,in which hydrogen-gas is gen-. erated by. the reactionof a suitable dilute acid-upon scrap metal contained within a perforatedbasket, and said gas afterward carbureted by being brought incontactwithgasoline or other hydrocarbon-liquid, such apparatus beingautom'atic inits action as, regards the exposure of thescrapin the basket tothe acidaccm'dingl-y'as itis'requir'ed togencrate gas.

The invention consists in; a novel combination of devices, as applied toapparatus "of the description referred to, including a guard,- arranged:below .the perforated basket for catchingscrapfalling through theperforations'in' the basket by the reducing action' ofthe acid, andwhich, if allowed. to fall into the acid .in the chamber i'nwhichthcbasketis expos'ed, would continue to generate gas, and endangerexplosion, after the baskethad been drawn up. out of the acid.

The invention likewise includes-a loadedpiston, ap-

plied 'to regulate, by pressure of thegas' on'it, the

depth of the baskets immersion in th'eacid, according to the amouutorpressure of gas required to be generated; also,--a'float immersed: in;the acid, and connected with the basket and piston, to aid in supportingthem; likewise, a submerged agitator, operated bythe rise'and'fall ofthe basket, tokeep theacid in the gas-generating chamber well mixed.

.The invention furthermore comprises anovel combination or arrangementof devicesibr carbureting the gas after leaving the .generator,;aud1inits "way to the exit-pipe, including a perforated lower escape-pipefor the hydrogenrelatively to a series'of wicks-that-operateby'capillary attraction to hold int-suspension thehydrocarbon-liquid. r

Referring to the accompanying drawmg- A represents the vessel or chamberin which: the dilute sulphuricor other suitable acid'for generatim thegas is contained.

B is the perforated basket for holding the metal scrap-on which the acidisrequired to act.

This basket may-have the scrap supplied to it. through. any suitableopening arranged in the upper portion of the vessel A, and made capableof being closed .whcn' required. I Similar prorision should be made forfilling or re-i plenishing the vessel'A with acid, and,a gauge-cock orexcessive generation of gas.

be-attached to regulate the properlevel of the acid therein; I

Mounted on tnevesselA is a'cylinder, 0, open at its bottom-to saidvessel, and having arranged within it a piston, D, fitted with acup-leather packing, andmude' fast,'preferabiy inan adjustablemanner,tea 7 vertical rod, E, on which the basket B-is secured.

' Thus arranged, the piston D, which is loaded to any required extent byremovable-weights F, serves, by the pressure of the gas on its undersurface, to regn late the immersion ofthe basket in the acid, giring adeeper immersion when .a heavy load'is put on, whichcauses amo're rupidgeneration of gas, and reducing .the immersion of the basket, oraltogether lifting it out of the acid, when taking oil weight from thepiston to diminish orarrest the generation of gas.

A'piston' thusv appliedto the" basket forms a much simpler more-compact,and less-expensive -contrivancethan a gas-holderworking in an outervessel supplied with water, as heretofore used for the same purpose.

Liu'c'ommonwith. the scrap in the basket, free from further exposure .tothe acid,-'th us relievingthe appae.

rates from the danger oflexplosion by the untimely .Said; guard G is ofa close plate construction, to prevent scrap, asxea'ten away bythe acid,from passing through it, and to allow of acid. running from oil it backinto the main body of acid below, after said guard and basket have beenraised out of the liquid. 11118 a submerged float, attached to the rod-E, to support on balance, by its buoyancy in the-acid, the

piston and basket,with its contents andguard, the

weights F-serving to sink or lowerthe same, as'required, whengeneiatinggas.

In place of this float, outsidecouuterbalance weights may be applied tothe piston, as the samehave-beenapplied. to the gas-holder of'gasoxneters to produce the same efi'ect as the float ;-'but it isprchrre'd' to use the latter-{as being out of the way, simpler, and morecompact; p

Attached also to the rod Eis a submerged agitator,

'- S, formed by a perforated plate, which, as the basket rises andrfallsin the acid, serves to-keep. up a mixing 'actionoff the lower and-densergrades'of the dilute acidavith its upper andlightergradea'thnsequalizing theistrength of the whole volume of acid, and making itavailable on the metal scrap inthe basket.

- .J -is the exit-nozzle for the hydrogengas to pass oil,

by aconneoting-pipe, K, tbrongh the receivingrnozzle L of thecarbureter, on opening cocks b and c for the purpose. I

M is the carbureting-chaniber,down within'which an escape-pipe, K, forthe hydrogen-gas, is arranged,

and made to connect with the receiviug-nozzleL, to

conduct said gas, as it comes from the vessel A, into the lower portionof the carbnreting-chamber M;

This escape-pipe K is bent, to form a horizontal arm below,and-pertbrated, to e'fl'ect a more perfect distribution of the hydrogenthrough the hydrocarbon-liquid in thechamber M, and, in its upwardcourse, through or among a series of suspended wicks, N, which act, bycapillary attraction, to draw up the liquid, and, by the exposure oftheir saturated surfaces, to aid materially, as in other applications ofwick for the like purpose, in effecting the carbnreting of the gas.

The perforated escape-pipe K, and. the arrangement of its lowerperforated arm relatively to the chamber M and the wicks N, have animpqrtantrbearing in this relation.

0 is the exit-nozzle, fitted with a cock, (I, for the carburetecl gas,said nozzle having a hose or pipe attached to it for conveying the gasto the place where it is required to be used.

What is here claimed, and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the guard G with the perforated basket 13,arranged in relation to each other for operation within the acid-chamberA, snbstantially a" specifiecL- 2. The combination of the piston D andoylinder O with the basket B and its guard 1G, essentially as described.

3. The float H, in combination with the basket B, the guard G, andpiston D, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the submerged agitator S with thebasket B,essentially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, with the gas-generating chamber A and pipe K, whichconveys the gas to the carbnreter, of the perforated escape-pipe K, bentas described, and arranged in relation to the carburetingchamber M andwicks N, suspended tl1ereiri..substantially as specified.

A. W. HALL.

Witnesses:

FRED. HAYNES, J. O. LAWRENCE.

